Building Together: How Our Partnership with WCVT is Accelerating Fiber Access Across Addison County

When Maple Broadband set out to bring high-speed fiber internet to all 20 of our member towns, we knew we needed a partner who understood rural Vermont's unique challenges. In August 2021, we found that perfect match in Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT)—a family-owned Vermont company that's been connecting rural communities since 1904.

A Partnership Built for Rural Success

Our collaboration with WCVT represents more than just a business agreement—it's a strategic alliance that combines local accountability with proven technical expertise. While Maple Broadband provides community governance and access to municipal funding, WCVT brings over a century of experience building and operating telecommunications networks in Vermont's challenging terrain.

This public-private partnership allows us to accelerate fiber deployment across our region while maintaining the community ownership and accountability that makes our CUD model unique. WCVT operates our network in areas we build, bringing their track record of service excellence to Maple Broadband customers.

Real Progress, Real Results

The partnership is delivering tangible results for Addison County residents. WCVT's network expansion now reaches 98% of addresses in Addison, Bridport, Panton, Weybridge, Waltham, and most of New Haven. This means thousands of homes and businesses that previously struggled with slow or unreliable internet now have access to gigabit-speed fiber service.

The numbers tell the story of rapid progress: WCVT has converted more than 8,200 customers to fiber-optics across their service area, with that number growing daily. In our partnership zones alone, the network has already laid 143.5 miles of fiber, passing 1,647 homes and businesses in the initial phase.

Current Construction and Future Plans

Construction continues to move forward systematically across our region. Active fiber construction is currently underway in parts of Bristol, Starksboro, Monkton, and North Ferrisburgh. These areas represent some of the most challenging builds in our territory, with rugged terrain and scattered homes that make rural fiber deployment complex and expensive.

Looking ahead, remaining areas in these towns are scheduled for completion between 2025-2026. Additional work in Lincoln and other sections of South Starksboro and Bristol is slated to begin engineering in 2025, with construction following in 2026.

The Final Mile Challenge

Even after mainline fiber construction is complete, significant work remains. In areas where the backbone network is finished, contractor crews are focused on the crucial "final mile"—running fiber-optic drops from the main network to individual homes and businesses. This detailed work requires coordination with property owners and careful navigation of individual site challenges.

Only after these drops are installed can crews begin scheduling fiber conversions, the process of connecting customers to the new network and transitioning them from older copper or cable connections to fiber-optic service.

Funding the Future

This ambitious expansion is made possible through strategic funding that demonstrates how public-private partnerships can accelerate rural broadband deployment. The partnership has secured significant grant funding, including a $9 million grant from the Vermont Community Broadband Board, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Additionally, eleven of our member towns have contributed ARPA funds to support the buildout: Bridport, Cornwall, Ferrisburgh, Lincoln, Middlebury, Monkton, Panton, Ripton, Salisbury, Waltham, and Weybridge. These unrestricted local funds provide crucial flexibility in building the strongest possible business case for reaching every address.

Why Partnership Works

The strength of our partnership with WCVT lies in complementary capabilities. As a Communications Union District, Maple Broadband can access certain municipal funding sources and federal grants that private companies cannot. Our governance structure ensures community accountability and transparency in decision-making.

WCVT brings operational expertise that would take years for a new organization to develop. Their existing infrastructure, experienced workforce, and established relationships with contractors and suppliers allow projects to move forward more quickly and efficiently than if we were building these capabilities from scratch.

Service That Reflects Our Values

The internet service delivered through our partnership reflects both organizations' commitment to rural Vermont communities.

What makes this service special isn't just the speeds or pricing—it's having Vermonters serve Vermonters. When you call for support, you're talking to people who understand rural Vermont's unique challenges because they live here too. Our local customer service team knows the difference between a power outage in a February ice storm and a fiber cut from spring construction, and they respond accordingly.

This represents a dramatic improvement for communities where residents previously dealt with distant call centers and providers who viewed rural areas as secondary markets. Now when you need help, you're talking to neighbors who are invested in making sure your internet works.

Building Vermont's Digital Future

Our partnership with WCVT demonstrates how rural communities can take control of their digital infrastructure without sacrificing technical quality or operational efficiency. By combining community ownership with professional operation, we're proving that rural broadband doesn't have to mean second-class service.

As we continue expanding fiber access across Addison County, this collaboration serves as a model for how public and private entities can work together to bridge the digital divide. Building fiber for everyone takes time, but with the right partnerships and community commitment, progress happens every day.

For residents wondering when fiber will reach their address, the answer is that we're working systematically toward ensuring that every household in our member towns has access to high speed broadband. While construction timelines depend on terrain, permitting, and weather, our partnership ensures that every eligible address in our member towns will eventually have access to world-class fiber internet.

That's the power of partnership: combining community vision with operational expertise to build the digital infrastructure rural Vermont deserves.